Category: Book Reviews

Review: Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2) by K. Vale

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2) coverFor Giovanni Savale, lead singer of Three Deaf Mice, life could never be less like that of a rock ‘n roll star.  His band reached the heights of popularity in the ninties, until an experimental album almost destroyed their fan base.  Now Gio is trying to put together a new album in the midst of a personnel crisis.  After nine years of a tumultuous and unhappy marriage, Gio is trying to hold on to the only good thing that came out of that union, his son Marco.  In order to get the money needed for an expensive divorce lawyer and to provide a stable home for his son, Gio has agreed to be a part of a reality series about him and the band.  Only its not going the way Gio expected.

The series producer wants to increase the show’s ratings and to do so he intends to showcase Gio’s bisexuality and a new “fabulous” boyfriend, a fake boyfriend to boost interest in the show.  It all started with a comment made off the cuff in an interview Gio did for a rock magazine.  He never thought that lead to this mess and the revival of desires Gio thought he had buried in his past.

Kyrie, the flamboyant  and funny actor hired as Gio’s pretend boyfriend is cute but it’s Lance Garrett, the mysterious and sexy owner of the local antique shop, that sparks Gio’s interest and passion.  But Lance is hiding secrets of his own.  In between battling his ex for custody of Marco,fighting the producer for some sanity and privacy, and Lance’s past, can Gio find love and the happiness he seeks?

I throughly enjoyed the first book in the shooting stars series, Forever is Now.  That had a rock star, a former lover, a past to be reconciled and a love that burned brightly throughout the years.  It has a small cast of characters and a basic, endearing plot.  Double Takes, the second novel in the Shooting Stars series, is a whole different type of story.

I was intrigued by the premise of Double Takes.  A fading rock star with money and soon-to-be ex-wife issues agrees to a reality cable series about himself and his band in order to earn the money he needs for a high powered lawyer.  What a great concept for a story,  especially considering the ubiquitous nature of reality tv shows today. An additional element here is the fact that Gio’s true sexuality has been suppressed by the times and his long term marriage. Only a throwaway line in an old magazine interview brings his bisexuality back out into the light.  And once that item has been seized on by his unscrupulous producer to be used to launch the new season, then Gio has a whole new set of personal issues to deal with, including outing himself to his bandmates.  I liked the  way the author dealt with these concepts,uniting them in a cohesive manner into her narrative.

When Double Takes and Gio are dealing with these plot layers, the story is fun, frustrating, and pretty realistic.  Unlike the rockers of Forever is Now, I never got the feeling that music was all that important any more for these older rockers.  They’ve been there, done that, and are now just playing for the fans and money.  They need to tour but Gio is stuck in one place because of his divorce, and needing to provide stability for his son.  That’s another very authentic element here as is Gio’s love for his son.  So far, we have three plot threads that make this a interesting and terrific story.  Between a reality show, a disintegrating marriage and custody battle, a father and son relationship, and having to deal with a hither to unknown aspect of his sexuality,  that would  absorb the majority of any story.  Especially as you will throw in a romance as well that will have Gio reexamining his sexuality and desires.  Loved the way the author dealt with this element too.

There are two romantic lead possibilities here. One is Kyrie, the adorable actor hired for the role as Gio’s boyfriend on the series.  Vale is setting up Kyrie and his ex brother in law as the next couple in the Shooting Stars series, so the amount of attention given to this secondary player makes sense.  Gio’s “real” romantic interest is Lance Garrett, an antiques dealer he met when trying to sell off items to help pay for his lawyer.  They meet, are attracted to each other  and try to deal with the awkward situation created by the tv show and his “fake” boyfriend.  Again, another wonderful concept and it works to highlight relationsip issues and feelings of trust the men have to work through.  I really wish the author had left it at this because these men have so much to work through to get to a solid place with their new status as lovers that to portray their “relationship dance” alone could take most of this story.

But that is not to be.  And for me this is where the story starts to disconnect from everything the author had established in the preceding chapters. I don’t believe that I am giving away anything by stating that Lance is not what he seems.  The blurb  infers that there is something mysterious about Lance and there is a problem from the past that will arrive to cause problems.  And it does but not just for the characters but for the readers as well.

From this point, the story splits off into something totally unexpected and wildly dissonant from the rest of the story elements we were involved in.  It’s almost as if we have an entirely different book and plot going on.  It comes out of nowhere and soon the author starts piling on more surprises and twists than this story can or should have been asked to handle.  Left behind are all the other major plot points…the band, the tv show, the divorce, even the father/son relationship…all dissolves under the need to work this new angle into Double Takes.  For me, this story then crumbles under the weight of all that material and extraneous plot devices.

And that’s a shame because the promise of the original concepts and the wonderful manner in which this story started had me smiling in anticipation of the tale to follow but left me perplexed by how quickly it all fell apart.  I did like so much about Double Takes and what the author attempted to do with her characters and plot.  It was ambitious and interesting.  So I will be looking forward to the next story in this series, featuring Kyrie, an altogether different type of shooting star and Greg, his ex brother in law.  While we are waiting for that story to arrive, go back to the beginning and Forever is Now to get your rocker fix from Kimber Vale.

Cover art not credited but I like the cover.  Its eye catching and interesting.

 Books in the Shooting Stars series include to date:

Forever is Now (Shooting Stars #1)
Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2)

Book Details:

ebook
Published April 28th 2014 by Liquid Silver Books (first published April 20th 2014)
edition languageEnglish
seriesShooting Stars #2
Buy Links:   Amazon    ARe   Liquid Silver Books

Review: Daylight Again (Hell or High Water #3) by S.E. Jakes

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Before Prophet Drews can have a future, he must first put his past to rest.

DaylightAgain_500x750Prophet Drews and Tom Boudreaux, his partner on the job and in real life, are back from the tumultuous events in New Orleans and trying to figure out where they go from here.  Tom has moved into Prophet’s condo while continuing to work for E.E, Prophet’s former employer.  And Prophet? He remains haunted by a past that won’t let him go and a secret he is hiding from Tom that might shatter any future they might have together.

Then his old CO asks Prophet to help in a dangerous rescue mission, one that will reunite all of Prophet’s old SEAL team and bring out Prophet’s and the team’s old enemies as well.  When Prophet asks Tom to come with him, Tom jumps at the chance to support his partner and uncover some answers of his own.

Before long it’s not just  CIA assassins, the terrorist Sadiq, and the enigmatic spook Cillian involved with Prophet, Tom, and the SEAL team’s rescue mission.  Odd events and occurrences start to point at one of the most  important person in Prophet’s past… John—”traitor, former teammate, and Prophet’s first love”, being involved as well.

With only a small window of opportunity to get in, accomplish their mission and then escape and when no one is sure who to trust , Prophet and Tom must search within themselves and their relationship for the truth, not only about each other but their relationship as well.  Danger , past, present and future lurks everywhere….can Prophet and Tom make it out alive and together?

In Prophet Drews and Tom Boudreaux, SE Jakes has created two marvelously complex and troubled men among a company of such men in her E.E series.  Through the last several stories, we have watched Prophet and Tom circle around each other in an absorbing pas de deux of action, passion and traumatizing personal past histories.   Endlessly drawn towards each other, the constant push and pull of attraction and yes, love, has made these two men fascinating to connect with in the drama they create and the mysteries that follow them through each adventure and calamity.  Now back from New Orleans and with their relationship strengthened, Prophet’s PSTD is getting worse by the day as is his indecision and pain over an enormous secret he is hiding from Tom.

Jakes has always been able to pull us intimately into the minds of these men and  in Daylight Again the author puts them both under a narrative microscope that will magnify all the demons Prophet and Tom have been fighting and bring them into the light for them and the reader.  Daylight Again begins a journey of revelation for Tom and Prophet on many levels.  SE Jakes starts to pull together the plot threads and characters from several of her interconnected series and weaves them here into a suspense filled, action packed drama that kept me on the edge from beginning to end.  This is a taut, streamlined narrative and it flows just as quickly from point to point as one would expect from this author and this series.

I love this author’s ability to create characters that zing off the page, their vitality and depth almost too much to be contained within the confines of a page. We have gotten to know them from Catch a Ghost, and then watch them pull together in Long Time Gone. Now Daylight Again starts with them living together and adjusting to that fact and each other with varying degrees of success.  What hurts is how close these men have become to each other and yet the reader is always aware that some sharp shard of their past lurks just outside their growing relationship to splinter it all to hell and back at a moment’s notice.  That tension that haunts this couple and story is just one more marvelous element in SE Jakes storytelling repertoire and it serves to keep the reader engrossed in the story and tightly connected to these men.

All my other favorites are here too, especially Cillian and Mal, whose story Dirty Deeds uncovered a major past connection between them whose disclosure  devastated them both.  Mal and Cillian are front and center here, still trying to deal with that personal bombshell while working together for the success of this mission.  These are strong characters too and SE Jakes does them justice and keeps us invested in their status even though this really isn’t their story….Its Prophet’s and Tom’s.  And what a story it is. SE Jakes has me both anticipating and dreading the next installment because of the great way this story ended.

The ending is astonishing.  I love the way Jakes sets us up for that denouement. And it will take us and this couple into the penulitmate story in their Hell or High Water series.  I can’t wait.  Consider this one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords highly recommended novel as well as one of the most entertaining series of the year.  Don’t pass up this or any of these stories by SE Jakes.  In fact, grab up everything in the Extreme Escapes universe and start reading.  You are going to fall hard for each and every dangerous and sexy man you will find within.

LC Chase has again supplied us with another outstanding cover, I just love these tats.  Graphically appealing and perfect for the men involved.

Books in the Hell or High Water series in the order they should be read:

Catch a Ghost (Hell or High Water, #1)
Long Time Gone (Hell or High Water, #2) 
Daylight Again (Hell or High Water, #3)
Not Fade Away (Hell or High Water, #3.5) Expected publication: July 14th 2014
If I Ever (Hell or High Water, #4) Expected publication: October 1st 2014

Associated Series: Extreme Escapes Universe: Men of Honor and Dirty Deeds:

Dirty Deeds (Dirty Deeds #1)  Mal and Cillian

Free Falling (Extreme Escapes, Ltd.) Blue and Mick

 

Book Details:

ebook, 265 pages
Published May 5th 2014 by Riptide Publishing (first published May 3rd 2014)
ISBN139781626491403
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/daylight-again
seriesHell or High Water #3

 

Mother’s Day and the Week Ahead in Reviews, Book Tours and Stuff!

 

 

books headers blk and white

It’s Mother’s Day and I am taking the day off for family events and such.  So without much further discourse, here is the week ahead in reviews, author guest posts, book tours and contests.  It looks to be a wonderful week:

This Week’s Schedule:

Monday, May 12:              Author Spotlight: Kimber Vale on Double Takes

Tuesday,  May 13:             Riptide’s Hostile Ground Book Tour with Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt

Wed., May 14:                    Daylight Again by SE Jakes

Thursday, May 15:            Double Takes by K. Vale

Friday, May 16:                  Author Spotlight: RJ Scott

Sat., May 17:                       One Night by RJ Scott

Review: Looking After Joey by David Pratt

Rating: 4,25 stars out of 5

Looking After Joey coverAccountant Calvin’s life is one that is littered with regrets and paths not taken.  His last boyfriend, Rafe, left him with the impression that he, Calvin, had failed Rafe utterly even as Rafe said” oh, its not you, its me”.  No, Calvin knew it was him. Currently Calvin has three important things in his life.  His exuberant best friend Peachy, his accountant job (ok only because of the income) and his love of hot gay porn, specifically the beautiful and sexy porn actor Joey Rhodes.

If Calvin is not at work or with Peachy, he can be found in front of his television engrossed in the latest porn movie featuring his beloved Joey.  Then one day Calvin’s life takes a bizarre and unexpected turn.  Calvin’s dream man Joey appears in the flesh, beautiful, gorgeous flesh, right in Calvin’s living room.  It seems that his latest video,a Joey Rhodes-Roddd Packer DVD called “Open the Door and Let Me In”, is something much more than it seems.

But what is Calvin to do with Joey?  Joey is a total innocent, he knows nothing about real life and Calvin doesn’t know how to return him to his.   Soon Calvin and Peachy find themselves looking after Joey, their “nephew”.  But Peaches has other ideas in mind…ones that include an upscale party in the Hamptons, a trip to Fire Island, and a gallery of rogues and misfits the like of which the island of Manhattan will never see again.   What happens when your fondest wishes come true and your life changes forever , just not in the way you expected? Calvin is about to find out.

 

Looking After Joey by David Pratt was one of the nicest surprises I’ve had all month.  From the book blurb to the story cover, I thought I was getting a fun, kind of raunchy and wild little tale.  I mean, just look at that premise!  A man’s favorite porn star steps out of the video and into his life, perfect for comedy and tons of hot sex, right?  Not exactly.  Because David Pratt takes that humerous theme, gives your the anticipated porn sex scenes and superficial comedy one expects and then deepens it all into a story of personal growth, faith, and love of all types. That’s the part I never saw coming and that’s the elements that made me love this book.

Calvin is leading an empty life and he know’s it. He has been using porn, particularly the videos featuring young, adorable Joey Rhodes, to fill up the emotional void inside.  And that use of porn has lost him his last boyfriend, who figured he could never “measure up” to the hunks Calvin is becoming emotionally invested in on the screen.  Even his few attempts to meet someone new lately have failed, know matter how hard Peachy tries to get Calvin to open up to new possibilities.  Calvin is even coasting along at his job.  He is good at it but nothing more.  David Pratt quickly delivers a portrait of a  man reducing his life down to a tv screen and a best friend and shows how hollow and desperate that feels.

Then in one miraculous night, everything changes.  And Calvin gets to meet Joey in his own “porn world” when he wakes up first inside the Joey Rhodes-Roddd Packer DVD called Open the Door and Let Me In.  Trust me, this is not only the only shocker here.  Being inside a porn world is both incredibly funny and terribly sad as Calvin finds out.  Between hot hookups from men “who aren’t gay their girlfriends are just away for the weekend” and endless pizza from hot pizza delivery boys, Calvin looks for Joey and then finds him.  Pratt must have had such a great time creating this timeless porn universe.  All the typical features of a porn film have been included.  The locations and sets where it is always sunny and never rains, where the delivery boys are always hot and ready to go, and the gym is full of available men no matter what time of the day.  But while Pratt is having fun, he is also showing how mind numbing and empty that world can be if that is all you have.

Then the situation is flipped and Joey ends up in Calvin’s world and things become heartbreakingly real and painful for all.  Yes, there is still plenty of comedy but it’s like a sexy Velveteen Rabbit who comes alive or a Pinnochio who becomes a real boy. The pathos is tangible.  Both of them to be real but unlike them, Joey has not idea of what a “real life” entails.  His fear and pain are palpable when reality sets in and the reader feels as hopeless as Calvin does about the situation.  Trust me, Joey sobbing away as reality sets in is going to break your heart.

Pratt delivers two very different type of characterizations here.  One is the layered, believably human characters like Joey, Calvin, Doug, and yes, even Peachy.  This list will grow to include a character called Jeffrey, but I will leave him as a surprise.  You absolutely believe in Joey’s vulnerability and innocence even when he is asking for sex.  Watching him mature is almost as edifying as watching Calvin do the same. You see, in so many ways both Calvin and Joey must trod the same path, but in totally different roles.  And we will be lucky enough to go along for what turns out to be both an educational and deeply emotional journey to adulthood and wisdom.  It will include discussions of faith and personal assumptions. That surprised me too.

The other type of characters found within Looking After Joey run along the line of your staple cartoon or stock characters.  Light on the nuances and heavy on the stereotypes and caricatures.  Those characters would include eternally sweaty publicist Bunce van den Troell; “theatrical investor Sir Desmond Norma; studly thespian Clive Tidwell-Smidgin; and evil lubricant king Fred Pflester “.  Oddly enough, it didn’t bother me that Pratt had both types of characters relating to each other.  Some situations almost called for it as they were as funny and contrived as the characters involved.  Other times, the scenes were gritty, painful and all too human.  And the balancing act needed to maintain both elements is a tricky one that Pratt was not always successful at.

Ultimately this story belongs to Calvin and Joey.  That’s the heart and soul here and that’s the reason to love this book.  There is plenty of romance to be found and most of the characters, the ones you are rooting for, get their HEA or the promise of one.   One surprise awaiting you is that the romances won’t be between the characters you anticipate.  That turns out to be not only an unexpected element but one of this story’s happy ones too.  It works out just the way it should or you hoped it would.

I see what David Pratt’s bio that he is the author of a book called Bob the Book.  If that is half as entertaining and emotionally rewarding as Looking After Joey, well, I can’t wait to find out and report back to you all.   I am putting this book on ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords’ list of book that are Must Rec’d Reads.  It will surprise and delight you as it did me.   Pick it up and start reading today.

Cover art by Wilde City Press.  It’s adorable and on the mark as is the character standing in for Joey.

 Book Details:

ebook, 255 pages
Published April 2nd 2014 by Wilde City Press
ISBN139781925031935
edition languageEnglish

Buy Links:    Wilde City Press        Amazon        ARe

Review: Forever is Now (Shooting Stars #1) by Kimber Vale

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Forever is Now coverNine years ago Alex Bremen was very much in love with Chance Ralan.  The high school boys were inseparable until Alex’s dad caught them together.  The events from that traumatic night tore them apart. The breakup permanently separated them and  left Alex forever bitter at Chance’s betrayal. Now Alex is a successful director and producer of independent documentaries at his own production firm.  And Chance? Chance went on to rock god status when he turned  his high school rock band  into the famous Armageddon Showdown. Over the years, Alex had got a concert or two…just out of curiosity of course but never attempted to contact him.  And he never again heard from Chance.

Then Alex happens to hear the  song he wrote for Chance all those years ago played on the radio.  Stunned and enraged, he listens as his song is credited to Chance Ralan and its Armageddon Showdown’s latest hit!  The song “Forever is Now” was Alex’s love song  to Chance.  It was always meant to be a private things between them and now Chance has not only stolen it but claimed to have written it as well.

Determined to take his revenge and take back his song, Alex travels across country with his production team to meet up with Armageddon Showdown and Chance Ralan.  At first Chance has no idea that the company that is to film their tour is also bringing with it someone from their past hellbent on making Chance pay for his actions once and for all.  But Love is a quixotic thing and as the men tangle, old passions and feelings that never completely went away start to rise again.  In the end, what will win out?  Love or revenge?  Does time really heal all wounds or let them fester, so all hope of love is lost?

Parted young lovers, a troubled rock star and a spurned nice guy set on revenge.  Yep, I’m in.  Kimber Vale takes those ingredients and turns them into a highly readable and engaging tale of love, betrayal, and a rocker’s redemption.  I love rockers!  All the drama, glitz and glamor that surrounds them often hides a wealth of problems and hard work.  They make for perfect main characters and Kimber Vale’s Chance Ralan is another wonderful rock god character readers will love to embrace.  Haunted by his actions and betrayal of the one person who loved him all those years ago, Alex is wading in a mire of his own making.  The pierced, tattoed rock god is a far cry from the scared kid who only wanted to play music but Vale does a great job of showing how Chance’s insecurities and  regrets are now playing out through drunken binges, denial, and depression.   You should dislike Chance but he is so miserable and increasingly out of control that it is hard not to feel compassion for the guy, especially when Alex shows up to confront him.

Ah, Alex…..gorgeous, in control, out and now spitting mad Alex.  The story’s pov switches back and forth between our two protagonists but the Prologue and first chapters belong to Alex.  We see the events happen from his eyes and pick up 9 years later where it is clear he has never gotten over neither his resentment and bitterness nor his love of Chance.  Alex is a easy character to love.  He confronted his demons then made the tough, right choices in his life.  He became successful without sacrificing those personality traits that makes him accessible to the reader.  Plus he has a great sister he adores.  You start off understanding Alex, then you like him and finally, you fall in love with him as deeply as Chance already is.

Alex’s love life is as stalled as his affections as his latest lover just happens to resemble a  young Chance. As Vale heads her characters towards a combustible reunion and a confrontation, it is clear that both men need this to go forward in their lives. The author has created a wonderful atmosphere of suspense and anticipation for the reader leading up to this moment and she never quite gives in to the impulse to make it explosive, keeping us on the edge as we continue into the narration.  I loved that aspect of this story.  It totally works in keeping us engaged and in the moment.

There is quite a cast of secondary characters here that have important roles to play.  There are the Armageddon Showdown band members of varying degrees of maturity and congeniality,  and Cliff the manager who is smarmy from the ground up. Alex’ production company, Real Reels, is represented by Jools and Miles, the mistake and Alex’s ex lover who unfortunately is still circling around Alex like a hopeful bee. I like that no one character felt extraneous here and that each was as well crafted as the next.

Kimber Vale does seriously address Chance’s drinking and drug habits.  When we start the story Chance is already an alcoholic in denial who also uses drugs as casually as he does booze.  Without going too deeply into  the steps necessary for recovery and rehab, the author makes it plain that this self destructive behavior is hurting him on all fronts. And that only Chance himself holds the key that will make him realize how high the cost will be if changes aren’t made.  Vale keeps it realistic without being clinical, especially given the length of the story.

There are places where the story slows down, but that only happens occasionally.  The narrative picks up speed as it heads towards the end, and even though most will be able to tell who the villains of the story are and what possibly their roles might be as the plot unfolds, the pleasure you get from these characters and the drama of their situation will have you glued to the page until the very end.

Need a great little fix for your rockers in love addiction?  Start here with Forever is Now and Chance and Alex.  Kimber Vale continues the series with Giovanni Savale of Deaf Blind Mice in Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2). Giovanni Savale has a small mention here as his band plays along side Armageddon Showdown.  I will meet up with you there!  Happy Reading!

Cover Art by Unknown Artist who did a good job with the characters and cover design.

Books in the Series to Date include:

Forever is Now(Shooting Stars #1)
Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2)

Book Details:

ebook, 101 pages
Published September 9th 2013 by Liquid Silver Books
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php
seriesShooting Stars #1

Those Sexy Men of Hell or High Water Are Back In SE Jakes’ Daylight Again (HHW#3) Book Tour and Contest

☠☠Prophet and Tommy are back in Daylight Again☠☠

SE Jakes is here at ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords today to talk about those wild and sexy men of her Hell or Highwater series, Prophet and Tommy.  They are back in her latest release, Daylight Again (Hell or Highwater #3).

SE Jakes: Thanks so much for hosting a spotlight of my new release— Daylight Again! It’s book 3 in the Hell or High Water series, and it’s the return of Prophet and Tommy. And Mal. And Cillian. And, as usual, some surprises. Hang on for another wild (and hot) ride!

 

DaylightAgain_500x750About Daylight Again:

Before Prophet Drews can have a future, he must first put his past to rest.

Prophet Drews is a man on the edge, and he’s pulling Tom Boudreaux, his partner on the job and in real life, right over with him. When his old CO calls in a favor, Prophet asks Tom to join the off-the-grid rescue. But the mission raises all of Prophet’s old ghosts: CIA assassins, the terrorist Sadiq, and most importantly, John—traitor, former teammate, and Prophet’s first love.

To help bury those ghosts for good, Prophet and Tom gather the members of Prophet’s former SEAL team . . . and a spook named Cillian who’s been tailing Prophet for years. In the process, Prophet is forced to face his team’s shifting loyalties, ghosts who refuse to stay dead, and scariest of all, his own limitations.

With everyone’s lives in danger, Prophet and Tom must unravel a tangled knot of secrets, including their own. Prophet must decide how much to reveal to Tom, while Tom must decide how far he’s willing to go to help Prophet lay his ghosts to rest.

Book Details:

ebook, 265 pages
Published May 5th 2014 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626491403
edition languageEnglish

Buy at:  Riptide    url  http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/daylight-again
seriesHell or High Water #3

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Giveaway:

SE Jakes will be giving away one $100 gift certificate to Riptide Publishing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern Time, on May 17th, and winners will be announced on May 18th. Contest is valid worldwide.

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About the Author:

SE Jakes writes m/m romance. She believes in happy endings and fighting for what you want in both fiction and real life. She lives in New York with her family and most days, she can be found happily writing (in bed). No really…

You can contact her the following ways:

  • You can email her at authorsejakes@gmail.com
  • You can post to her Facebook page: Facebook.com/SEJakes
  • You can tweet her: Twitter  .com/authorsejakes
  • You can post on her Goodreads Group: Ask SE Jakes
  • You can follow her Tumblr page: sejakes.tumblr.com
  • You can follow her on Instagram: instagram.com/authorsejakes

Truth be told, the best way to contact her is by email or in blog comments. She spends most of her time writing but she loves to hear from readers!

Catch a Ghost coverLong Time Gone coverDaylightAgain_500x750

 

 

 

 

 

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Books in the Hell or High Water Series Include:

Catch a Ghost (Hell or High Water, #1)
Long Time Gone (Hell or High Water, #2)
Daylight Again (Hell or High Water, #3)
Not Fade Away (Hell or High Water, #3.5) – Expected publication: July 14th 2014
If I Ever (Hell or High Water, #4) –  Expected publication: October 1st 2014

☠ Excerpt (smoking hot) is right after a scene from Dirty Deeds. They’re at a bar in Amsterdam…
 Continue reading “Those Sexy Men of Hell or High Water Are Back In SE Jakes’ Daylight Again (HHW#3) Book Tour and Contest” →

Review: Knight of Fire (Terra #2) by S.J. Frost

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Once in the kingdom of Ocassus, humans and dragons shared the lands as allies. That time has passed into legend. But

there’s one who wants to see it return.

Knight of Fire coverHumans have forgotten the fact that it was dragons that agreed to share their lands with humans and not the other way around.  Over  the centuries, mankind has lost their knowledge and respect of the dragons that used to be their allies.  Now in a kingdom where dragons are feared and Dragon slayers are welcome, only a few humans remain that have the ability to talk to dragons, every type of dragon.  One such man is Torran.  Torran is a Dragon Speaker,  gifted with the rare ability to understand dragons.   He has made it his life’s work to rescue and keep safe every dragon that needs him.  And in all that time, he has never met another like him.

Sir Karrick Brenton is a Knight of the Crown, On a mission to unseat a cruel Duke, Sir Karrick met the motley crew of Forest’s End, already at the duchy in the middle of a battle.  Once the evil duke and dark mage are slain, Sir Karrick remains behind with Torran, Garrett Evergard, Bryson Summers,and the rest of the group.  Karrick has never met someone like Torran before.  Both men are instantly attracted to each other but their lives are so very different.  Karrick not only lives in the city of Dragon’s Landing but has secrets that he has been keeping as well. Torran lives in Forest’s End and is constantly traveling.

Torran is requested to come to the capital city of Dragon’s Landing when the King needs an interpreter to speak with the Ancient One, a dragon of immense power whose appearance is needed to crown the king’s successor.  Bryson too is needed when the King’s Gatekeeper goes missing. Once more the group of  friends sets forth on a mission, only this time it includes a Knight of the Crown, Karrick Brenton.  But unknown dangers await them all, and it will take all of their combined powers to defeat a common enemy and uncover the mystery of the missing Gatekeeper.

Knight of Fire picks up shortly after the events of To The Other Side and the destruction of the dark mage and corrupt duke.  The group of friends, Bryson the Gatekeeper and mage, Garrett his lover, Torran the Dragon Speaker, Lark the minstrel, Zain the assassin and the elf, Aleric, are still cleaning up after the last battle with help from the newly introduced Sir Karrick Brenton, Knight of the Crown.  After dispatching the Nightmare back to Hell (a great creation by S.J Frost), the men receive a missive from the King where he requests (demands) the presence of Torran in Dragon’s Landing, the main city of the kingdom.  Normally the group would use the gate to transport to Dragon’s Landing but unfortunately, the King’s Gatekeeper is missing and the Gate is locked.  Only another Gatekeeper can access the abandoned gate and that means that Bryson and crew are coming too.

S.J. Frost keeps a lively pace as her narrative flows from the end of the first novel to the events that spark the next adventure for this ragtag group and the Knight of the Crown send by King Orrin to investigate the corrupt Duke Bartell and the dark mage in his employ. Even from the few scenes Torran and Karrick had together in To The Other Side, it was clear they were made for each other.  Now in a traumatic opening chapter, Torran and Karrick are thrown back together when Karrick saves the Dragon Speaker’s life.  Frost’s ability to create characters that connect immediately with each other as well as the reader shines here with Torran and Karrick.  Torran is instantly lovable with his ability to speak to all sorts of dragons. Torran is subtly handsome and his small dragon companion, Rose, just adds to the picture of a man in tune with his gifts and the creatures he is meant to help.  When Frost introduces Torran to Karrick,a knight at his most heroic,  its clear that these men have much in common, not the least of which is their attraction to each other.   Even though their friendship is newly established, we believe in them and the romance that is almost guaranteed to come.

To access the other Gate, the ragtag little group must travel on the Earth side to the missing Gatekeeper’s cottage, and it is here that Frost’s story takes a humorous turn.  Modern plumbing and hot water are savored by all and the scene with Garrett and Bryson’s companion dragon Wynn in the Earth bookstore is hilarious.  I think that segments like this, where the characters return to the Earth side of a Gate , helps to reinforce the fantasy aspect and otherworldliness to be found on Terra.  One short journey later and the gang reenter’s Terra at the abandoned Gatekeeper’s cottage.  Frost returns to the darker story at hand with a poignancy that will resonate with all readers.  Cara, the missing Gatekeeper functioned almost as a mother to Karrick, and the descriptions of his emotions and memories as they survey the empty rooms are as powerful as they are intimate.

The puzzle of the missing Gatekeeper is just one of the mysteries this group must solve.  Frost introduces us to the Ancient One, a dragon of immense size and power who refuses to speak to the King.  The reasons behind that refusal and the implications for the health of the kingdom will involve all the characters in a plot as full of deceit and treachery as it is of romance and love.  For every lusty, sexy interlude there is sure to follow one full of magic and action.  Frost knows how to whip up a battle filled with fighting knights and a slew of archers, fire breathing dragons of all sizes as well.  There is a hatchling sure to capture your heart and a young scion in need of support and love.  This is a fictional cauldron full of wonderful characters, action packed scenes and couples on the path to romance and their HEA. Truly there is something here for everyone to love.

S.J. Frost continues to build her vision of Terra and its history with each new story in the series.  Knight of Fire adds new layers to its human/Dragon history and mythology as well as expanding on the characterizations of the people we have met and fallen in love with.  With a world full of unicorns, elves, brownies, mages, and more, for me, the real stars here are the dragons.  Tiny floral dragons that act like hummingbirds, white dragons that read bodice rippers, small ruby red dragons with feathers and a lady like sense of decorum, and immense dragons with the wisdom of the ages and everything in between.  They are all here and talking to us.  These dragons have the ability to fascinate even as they grab onto our sense of compassion for their plight.  Dragons and dragon lore will always be popular and here with her Terra series, S.J. Frost has added a wonderful new chapter all her own.

I love this series.  Knight of Fire is charming, fanciful, and a great romantic continuation of the story that started in To The Other Side.  I think both books should be on your TBR list.  If you are new to the series, start with To The Other Side to see where it all began.  For those of you familiar to this great group of misfits and miraculous creatures, than you will be happy to see where the next adventure takes them in Knight of Fire.  Grab them up and start your reading now!

Cover Design by Kris Jacen.   I love the knight on the horse.  What a perfect image for Karrick.

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Book Details:

290 pages
Published April 11th 2014 by MLR Press
original titleKnight of Fire
ISBN139781608209323
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SJFKFIRE
seriesTerra #2

Books in the Terra series to date in the order they were written and should be read are:

To The Other Side (Terra #1)
Knight of Fire (Terra #2)

Author Spotlight on S.J. Frost On Knight of Fire (Terra #2) (contest)

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spotlight on books

Knight of Fire cover

 

Spotlight On S.J. Frost and Knight of Fire, Book 2 of the Terra Series

 

 

 

 

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ScatteredThoughts welcomes S.J. Frost today.  The next story in her Terra series has been released and she is here to talk about Knight of Fire and the Terra series.

Welcome, S.J.!

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Hello! I’m very happy to be a guest here again and I’m giving my thanks to Melanie for having me back! And I’m also thrilled to offer a free copy of my newest release, Knight of Fire, Book 2 in the Terra series, to one lucky winner. Good luck to all who enter the giveaway! To enter leave a comment below and an email address where you can be reached. Contest ends 5/12 midnight EDT.

When I was here last, I was chatting about my new vampires in Vampire Prince. This time around, I’m going to be talking a bit about my fantasy series, Terra. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved fantasy. Unicorns, dragons, fairies, elves, all things magical and wondrous. I never outgrew that love and fascination and to this day, some of my favorite movies and books are in the fantasy genre. In fact, the very first book I ever read with a gay character was fantasy; Magic’s Pawn, Book One in the Last Herald Mage Trilogy, by Mercedes Lackey. The fantasy genre had already opened up so many wonderful worlds for me and that book and series opened up even more. The first novel I’d ever written (unpublished) was also fantasy. So, the genre’s been a passion of mine for a long, long time.

When a certain character—Jesse from the Conquest series—came to me with his story, my writing took the direction of gay erotic romance. Within that genre, I’ve worked to flex my writing muscles in different themes; contemporary, paranormal, historical. But it wasn’t until last year that I blended my love for writing gay erotic romance with my love for fantasy when I wrote the first book in the Terra series, To the Other Side.

I had been away from writing fantasy for several years when I started working on that story and while with every book I’d written, world building was key, iTo the Other Side covern To the Other Side it was much more intense. Since the book takes places in two worlds, not only was I juggling with working in the parameters of modern day society, but I also had to build the fantasy and medieval-based world of Terra. It was an interesting experience for me because on one hand, I felt as though I was going back to my roots with writing fantasy. On the other, I felt I was doing something entirely new because I was combining it with gay romance. And I can’t deny, I loved every minute of writing To the Other Side and later its sequel, Knight of Fire.Knight of Fire cover

As I worked on building Terra, I wanted it to be the kind of world that I would want to visit. One filled with the kinds of creatures, beings, and people I would want to see and know; a black unicorn stallion, a little white dragon with a love for books and Oreo cookies, a beautiful minstrel, a gritty assassin, a kind witch, knights, elves, Dragon Speakers…the list was endless. As challenging as it was building Terra, it was also a very freeing experience because I wasn’t kept within the restrictions of this world. I could let my imagination run wild.

There was one other thing I wanted with Terra, however. I also wanted it to have ties to the world we all know and live in, to make the book not only accessible for those who might not usually enjoy fantasy, but to also make it feel more…real. As if it’s possible to stumble upon one of the Gates and on the other side, waits a whole new world. And so Terra has a shared history and connection to our world of Earth.

For me, writing these books has been the best experience, a blending of old and new, of two things I love coming together. Each time I’ve finished working on a Terra book, I’m always looking forward to going back into that world again. And I hope, as readers, when you finish the last word on the last page, you do too.

Thanks, S.J. for stopping by and bringing a copy of Knight of Fire to giveaway!

Author Bio:
S.J. Frost is a multi-published author of sweet and sexy gay erotic romance stories. Contemporary, paranormal, fantasy and historical, she likes to dabble in a little bit of everything, but her stories always contain love, passion and romance. She encourages readers to contact her, so do please feel welcome to send her an email or track her down on the Internet and say hi!

You can contact S.J. Frost at:

Contest: To enter to win a copy of Knight of Fire, please leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached.  Contest ends 5/12,  EDT

Knight of Fire coverBook Details:To the Other Side cover

290 pages
Published April 11th 2014 by MLR Press
original titleKnight of Fire
ISBN139781608209323
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SJFKFIRE
seriesTerra #2

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